Within the dairy products arena, fruit, nuts and other inclusions are much like the prize in a Cracker Jack box. They add a little fun and excitement, transforming an ordinary offering to an extraordinary one.

New ingredients from Applied Food Sciences, Beneo, Cargill and more!

New inclusions from Balchem, Barry Callebaut, Denali Ingredients LLC, and more!

The perception of any flavor (F) is a combination of appearance (A), aroma (A), acidity (A), taste (T), texture (T) and temperature (T), or "FAAATTT." Although these attributes hold for most foods and food ingredients, they do not capture the whole of the chemical and physical challenges in flavoring plant-based frozen desserts.

Surprise bites of chocolate chips, cookie dough, pie pieces and other miniature treats have long delighted ice cream and frozen dessert consumers. But today's health-conscious eaters are asking for more from their desserts, including the inclusions within them, than an indulgent, satisfying mouthful.

New ingredients from Balchem Ingredient Solutions, Cherry Marketing Institute, Almond Board of California, plus more!

Texturally speaking, "ice cream" is something of a misnomer. Yes, consumers expect the frozen treat to be creamy; but any hint of actual iciness, either in the scoop or on the palate, qualifies as an unmistakable quality flaw.

Over the past few years, freezer cases have been filling up with a new class of creamy, dreamy treats that bear all the hallmarks of sinful indulgence while delivering more pluses (think protein and fiber) and fewer minuses (added sugar or "artificial" anything), to boot.